A brand-new tea bar called Tavalon just opened by Union Square in Manhattan. 
It sells high-end loose leaf teas in a microscopic but slick storefront decked out like a lounge. The founders are young corporate law dropouts, a turbaned Sikh dude named Sonny Caberwal and his biz partner John-Paul Lee. Sonny is also a tabla-ista who rocked out on a Thievery Corporation album a couple of years ago. It’s the second gen version of the ‘I’ll open a little restaurant’ dream:
There’s a new wave of Indian restaurants as lifestyle businesses being started by young, desi Manhattan professionals. Indian Bread Company, Chinese Mirch, and their granddaddy, Kati Roll Co., remind me of the second wave of upscale restaurants in London’s Brick Lane; they’re slicker than the usual desi joint… As young restaurants, owners, friends and relatives still work behind the counter… educated urbanites… A lot of the initial marketing of these places goes through word of mouth, friends of friends in the high-speed desi network; it’s the ‘I’ll open a little restaurant’ dream made real. [Link]
The place is decorated with white tile in a fabric texture like Tamarind, white orchids, uplit shelves like a cosmetics counter and menus on 32″ LCDs. It sells teas in tins and test tubes. My buddies DD Pesh spun in the DJ perch yesterday, and Sonny played stand-up tabla by the door.
The teas themselves mimic vitamin water with frou-frou, we’re-not-Lipton themes like anti-aging, energizing and balancing. The bar also carries some wicked-looking paraphernalia including a tea stick, a perforated, stainless steel cylinder which you fill with loose leaf tea; stainless steel honey spoons shaped like honeycombs; and sinuous, double-sided sugar spoons. It’s all very SoHo-boho chic (tongue-in-cheek).
They’ve got a blend called Ceylon King for the days you’re feeling Ravanous. Thankfully, they don’t carry any redundant-dundant ‘chai tea,’ but do stop by and give Sonny shit for his ‘secret Indian spices’ 
Kama Chai Sutra: … teas just don’t get any more flavorful than this organic chai, made with a secret blend of Indian spices.
Gratuitous tea pr0n:
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For all folks in the tri-state area… There’s a new Indo-fusion restaurant in North Brunswick, New Jersey called the The Rupee Room. It’s on Route 1, next to Pizza Hut. Apparently the food is excellent there. Tried to go once, but the wait was an hour long.
M. Nam
So, when do we get a “food” tab at sepiamutiny.com? Hopefully including comments for restaurant reviews.
Unsurprisingly, SF also has a tea lounge called Samovar. Surprisingly, it is less new-agey than Tavalon appears to be. 😉
HoleeGuacamolee – I think we’ve got a weiner there – all in support raise your grubby sepiate hands
MeMeMe
I’ll third the food tab and I can’t wait to check out this place. I guess I have that “little restaurant” dream too so I love seeing others carry it out.
MeMeMeMeMeMeMe and Me
moornam, thanks for that tip! will have to check it out. now, if only they’d get more indian grocery markets in the lehigh valley…i’d be thrilled.
HoleeGuacamolee – I think we’ve got a weiner there – all in support raise your grubby sepiate hands
ooohhh definately meeeeeeeee!
this reminds me…i was talking to some friends online one night, and they noticed i had tea. they aksed me what kind of tea i had, and i said the stuff with the teabag. they looked at me like i was nuts. a teabag? i didn’t know here we have teabags an flat lipton like stuff, and in india, there’s chai….yet more proof why india’s better. but anyhoo…. those tea doohickies look interesting!
For a cuppa chai, Chez Dhaavak
One cup water.
Half cup 1% milk
Three pods of cardamom, shelled and crushed
One knuckle length of ginger, peeled and sliced into long slivers
Half tea-spoon of crushed basil
Two teabags of Lipton yellow label (prep by tearing open bags)
Add all of the above, except for the tea, into a saucepan until it comes to a boil. Turn heat down to prevent it from boiling over and leave it at a rolling boil for a few minutes. Add tea leaves (for the love of god, do NOT, do NOT!!! drop in the tea bags. you’ll be reborn as a nematode) and stir. Let it all boil for another few minutes. Pour through a strainer into your cup. If perfect, you should have just one cup of the brew come through. Add honey to taste and enjoy.
Now I can die in peache
Wow, I know one of these dudes — it’s a small (Sikh) world. Well, good luck Sonny, if you’re reading this.
If I started my own tea bar, it would be called “To a Tea.” Or maybe: “Teasm” (pronounced Tee-asm). Not to be confused with Dupont Circle’s own excellent “Teaism.”
Not to go against the grain on purpose :), but I am concerned about a separate food tab…not because it isnt a good idea in theory, but that would mean a yummy chunk of food-related postings would be taken off the main page, and I kind of like waking up in the morning to three or four assorted SM postings-of-the-day on the same page, without having to click on a separate tab to read just about food stuff…
Also some readers, like er myself, don’t live in New York where most of the restaurants that are reviewed are located, but I enjoy reading about them and making a side note to visit the next time I’m there…I fear that by separating the food section, it might not only over-‘tabbize’ (?) but also ‘New Yorkize’ the food section! 🙂
Soooo..my vote is to keep it general and inclusive 🙂
I’d call my place T-BAGn.
I’d make my place with miniature golf and call it “Tea-Off”
holy chit… i didn’t realize it was that high up there.
dang. that’s REALLY high. hmm… could be fun looking at girls boobies from that high.
This dude played with Thievery Corp?? “Mirror Conspiracy” is incredible. My absolute favorite coffee shop sound.
On the topic of tea house names, Oxford Bookstores in India have an inhouse one called Cha-Bar. If I had a tea place, I’d call it ChaT (pronounced ..um.. Chat). Because the conversation is what tea places are all about.
hey B. numnums –
The “events” tab lets you select locations for listings, so it could be like that. And the “news” tab doesn’t stop the regular SM news postings, it just gives us additional news posted by readers. The reason I suggest a food tab is so readers could post more restaurants and food picks, and comments could help verify the quality. I, too, would be sad if the “Idaho Seven” didn’t put their special spin on food news in the blog.
Manish, you manage to temper every moment of brilliance with a slice of tack! For example:
is a shocker, but followed up by the garam-hot corker:
Anyway.
Yeah, big up Brick Lane, hoi hoi! Manish remember when we were in Brick Lane, I was telling you about Spitalfields? There was a great doc on TV the other entitled Brick Lane which told the history of one of Britain’s best roads and the surrounding Spitalfields area. Home to immigrants for hundreds of years – Huguenots, Jews and most recently Bangladeshis. Maybe BBC America will show it. But I severely doubt it.
Oh yeah and turbanhead, you’re a dirty berty.
Surely it’s obvious what I would call my tea bar?
Mister Tea, zucker?
Eh. It sounds like more tea pr0n with little actual tea
sexcontent. If you’re really into tea, try Tealuxe in the Boston area. They have over 100 different types of tea. It’s a gourmet experience with great ambiance, although not as hip as Tavalon.Holy shit I think I just had an orgasm. I’m going there this week!!
Manish, that’s [almost] unforgivable!
Whoops, forgot to take off the blockquote…
Er, yes, and more tea porn at t2Tea.
But this was the best part of the whole write-up! It would even look good on a menu. But then, I get a huge kick out of chai-tea too. Although it would be ridiculous to say that in an Indian shop.
holy chit… i didn’t realize it was that high up there.
dang. that’s REALLY high. hmm… could be fun ……..
could also be fun checking out face fuzz. anyhoo…..that is daaaammmnnn high. i could never sit up that high without serious protction from falling. turntable don’t frickin’ count. but the place is becoming cooler by the moment.
i think amardeep and turbanhead should co-own a tea bar.
i’d prolly call mine The Ol’ Bag. I like a little sarcasm if evenly spread about and not overdone. I like the tea-off idea. that’s kewl.
Sorry, off-topic, but:
Has anyone seen the menus at Cafe Coffee Day in India (I assume they’re the same everywhere)? They have: “Masala Chai – for that ethnic feel.” wtf??
lol! why would desis living in india want to feel “ethnic” – arent they already?
This reminds me of a Jerry Seinfeld one liner – “Why would they have any Chinese restaurants in China? Aren’t they just… restaurants?”
speaking of chai – i dont think this place has soul – overproduced – reminds me of all these brewing machines popping up in india these days – and it’s basically warm milk and water and a teabag sitting in it – agghh.. –
my more favorable memories are drinking out of a kulhar (a clay cup) in bikaner and random thoughts … speaking of tea – i am a huge fan of chekov (for those not in the know, the translations by constance garnett are the best) – and he describes russian tea drinking habits as very similar to thos in india – as in drinking out of a saucer etc. – tho’ he does describe practices in which people suck tea through a sugar cube – which is where the practices are smimlar to the persian habits…
i bet those dippy yuppies in NY cant do all that with those shmancy doohickeys. nyah
there is such a thing as chai masala – some extra powder they put in it for added zing – sometimes it isnt so wtf little frog – there’s also masala omelette – which is really very very tasty – yum.. made in peanut oil with generous servings of grease – but really very yummy – and because i think the stuff is so damn hot – it’s pretty safe (i think)… personally i prefer to eat at these roadside places where the guy’s right in front of you – it’s the restaurants i’m wary of – i kept having thoughts of some guy scratching his sores and adding extra ‘spice’ to the eggs.
pattie, you like face fuzz? had no idea.
i re-read – you were deriding the “ethnic” and i fixated on “masala” in my rejoinder above – sorry – my mistake – tired eyes .
dhaavak:
no problem – but how’d you know I’m a little frog?
Where does the name come from? It makes me think Tea-Avalong, which is a bit of weird NYC reference for me.
I love the fact that whenever Pattie Kaur posts a message on SM, it always sounds like she’s been smoking something dubious 😉
(Pattie — ‘bhang’ is only for Nihangs, although technically even they’re not supposed to indulge in the wicked weed).
But there is bhang tea … just not at T-avalon
sorry vivekan – it was silliness on my part.
Do you have roots in madurai ?
To stay topical – I have fond memories of hazelnut (I think that’s how it was told to me) flavored coffee/tea from tamil nadu… and served in those little bowls.
For those not in the know – tea tastes much better when it is aerated – so folks pour tea from a lipped cup into a bowl and back again a few times to cool it/mix sugar/aerate it. I tried it at home once but just made a big mess. Bet they dont have this in ny – score one for madurai.
http://www.cafepress.com/sunmits
Mmmm, sounds like teh tarek, aka “pulled tea,” the Malaysian national drink and sooo delish. They make a big dramatic production out of throwing the tea between two vessels, like something out of Cirque du Soleil. If someplace made that in New York, even I, usually a non-tea drinker, would go get me some.
Ninja Q,
Yes, but I was just teasing Pattie as Sikhs are supposed to refrain from certain dodgy intoxicants, although there is a sect of Sikhs (“Nihangs”) back in India which includes some members who apparently indluge in bhang. That’s what I was referring to in my insinuation — I was just joking around because Pattie sounds permanently high as a kite.
y’all some tea-drinking fools!
Did u guys see that link?? fuck gandhi? looks like indra…
wait wait… let me tell you about the tibetan tea with yak butter… and the kashmiri tea with saffron and almonds…
see… at the end of the day, proust got it right .. it isnt the tea but the preparation and the memory that lingers… and i’m left cold by all these gizmos up there … although i was reviewing a psychographic segmentation the other day and there are some out there who’d find that engaging – we know you and we’re going to get you.
I think it’s mostly about the ‘Avalon’ — mythical Saxon place where King Arthur lies in permanent rest. That’s the nod to New Ageyness.
i like teany in nyc, owned by a fave artist moby 🙂
and the kashmiri tea with saffron and almonds…
Kashmiri tea–the pink variety–is most delectable. There a guy on Gerard Street in Toronto who maketh a wonderful, steaming cup.
my cup spilleth over in anticipation. how about you shareth the addreth, Eddie.
Ooo, Eddie, does the guy have a shop or a name? I’ve never had Kashmiri tea, too busy stuffing my face with Kashmiri paan to even remember the tea. Now that spring is mos def here I can venture once again to Gerrard to eat dosa, hopefully drink some kashmiri tea, and be ogled be uncles and aunties.
Also, I think that sounds like a great meetup idea…hint hint to you Toronto folks, I know you’re reading this! Whine whine whine. Why don’t we EVER have meetups? It isn’t cold anymore, time to leave the igloos behind…
Siddhartha is on my wavelength. I was beginning to despair no one got my zucker/suckah gag.
How would you like your tea Mister Tea? TEA fool. With lots of MILK! I LOVE MILK!
Etc.
dhaavak (#35):
Towards the end of a college year in India program I went on, a fellow student remarked, “South India: hot beverages served in metal containers.”
i like women who have the skin tone of the color of chai
ohh-kayy – i bite – i have wanted to try out the udupi place on gerard for a mysore masala dosai – the last good dosa i had, was in of all the places, Kansas – how about a stopover at the udupi palace followed by a kashmiri chai and a kashmiri paan… mmm..mmm..mmm – besides i’ve heard there’s a pakistani dude there who sells fresh guavas all the way from pakistan – got to try that out, no?
show of hands – 04/01 at 5:30 p.m. – Udupi Palace on Gerard or any other?
I promise to (not) sing you “… khan will serve me tea and guavas all the way from pakistan…” (to the tune of suzanne)
open mike – suggestions … suggestions… until the americans get tired of us and kick us out.
p.s. neha – btw i met your m.p. the other day at her new digs in kensington – the warrior scored a pastry and some noodles from the enemy camp